1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an improved eave mount of the type which can be used to mount a satellite dish antenna to a structure with a sidewall, a roof with an eave.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Satellite dishes are commonly encountered objects in today's world. The typical satellite dish is of parabolic design which is particularly adapted for transmitting signals to and/or receiving signals from orbiting satellites. Satellite dishes come in various sizes and designs, and are most commonly used to receive satellite television. In years past, satellite antennas tended to be bulky and cumbersome, and often required placement on tripods or poles in a home owner's yard. The wiring, as well as the actual dish hardware tended to present potential safety hazards as well as being generally bothersome when placed in the yard. However, improvements in antenna technology have allowed the mass distribution of smaller antennas. These smaller antennas exhibit reduced wind and load stress. Due to these changes, satellite antennas can now be mounted directly to a wall or roof of a typical residential or commercial structure.
One requirement for successfully receiving satellite signals is that the satellite dish have a generally unobstructed view of the sky in the direction of the location of a broadcasting satellite. In many areas of the globe, for example the United States, a satellite dish must presently have an unobstructed view to a southerly direction. To achieve this unobstructed southern exposure, the manufacturers commonly recommend several installation locations: strapped to a chimney; mounted on top of a pitched roof; or positioned adjacent the southern wall of a building.
Several problems arise when placing a satellite antenna on the exterior of a chimney. For example, a significant amount of residential homes do not have chimneys. In the instance when a home does have a chimney, the mounted antenna juts out awkwardly and is exposed to soot and possibly intense heat.
Mounting the satellite antenna directly to the roof does not provide an entirely acceptable alternative. Mounting holes must be drilled through the roofing material to a roof rafter. In some cases, the roof rafter is an unacceptable structural support because a tenuously secured antenna tends to sway in high winds and storms, causing a slow but certain breakdown of the roof material under the antenna's base. Furthermore, the roofing material's capability to keep out the weather is compromised because the drilled holes promote roofing material deterioration and eventually can cause a leaking roof. Oftentimes, home owner roof warranties are void if holes have been drilled into the surface of the roof.
There are consequently several disadvantages which are inherent in present day manufacturer mounting recommendations for satellite dish antennas. As a result, the most logical choice for mounting a small satellite dish may be to mount the dish to the eave of the building, as the eave is elevated and permits a wide range of orientations of the dish over the roof of the building. However, manufacturers of the dish satellite antenna often specifically advise users to avoid mounting the antenna on the eave of a house because of the eave's lack of rigidity. If the deficient rigidity could be overcome, an eave would be an ideal location because it allows an installer to avoid mounting the antenna to the chimney or directly to the roof. The eave would provide almost any side of the building for unobstructed signal reception while simultaneously better blending the antenna with the building's profile.
Thus, despite the advances seen in the area of satellite dish mounting technologies, a need exists for an improved mount that overcomes the limitations discussed above.